Winter Sports Activities For Kids In Australia
We cannot have a Winter Sports Article without talking about the snow sports like skiing and snowboarding. Winter sports in Australia cover a wide range of activities on Australia’s continent, including snow-based and ice-based winter sports like hockey. Around 1.2 million Australians take part in skiing or snowboarding, making it a highly popular winter sport. Ice and snow sports such as skiing in Australia are practised in high altitude areas in the Australian Alps and in Tasmanian wilderness areas.
Many large cities across Australia host indoor skating facilities, which allow participation in certain winter sports no matter the city’s climate: subtropical Brisbane, for instance, is a large centre of speed skating in the Australian Short Track. In recent years, Australian pro athletes in the winter sports arena have had great success at both the Winter Olympics and other international events. Australia’s generally flat geography and usually mild winter weather provide ideal conditions otherwise for non-snow/ice-based winter sports internationally, and team games such as rugby union football, rugby league football, and association football (soccer), all popular sports in Australian winters, in which Australia has had significant international success. Australian Rules football, Rugby union, and rugby league, Australia’s three most popular spectator sports, are played predominantly during winter.
Be part of Australian culture
Sports are a major part of Australian culture, and many children participate in sports during the winter months. While we do not want kids to become exhausted or overly stressed by taking up too many sports, there is no reason children cannot participate in winter sports as well as summer sports.
One of the ways kids get accepted by their peers is to do well in the activities other kids appreciate since within sports, peer status and peer acceptance are usually established and developed. Sport can be a chance to learn a number of life lessons that may contribute to the development of strong, positive characters in children. Yes, there is always the risk of sports becoming a fixation idol for some children and their parents, and the risks of this becoming an all-consuming, identity-forming activity are definitely not healthy.
Exercise has also been shown to positively affect brain development, since sports use strategic thinking and mathematics (such as keeping scores and statistics), children will be better at school in the subjects they study.
With an emphasis on engagement and having fun, the program is great to expose kids to new sports in a friendly, non-competitive setting, as well as to keep them active and happy over school holidays. For more information about Skills Camps in each of these sports, check out our School Holiday Programs, and sign up your kids today. There are also a number of excellent AFL School Holiday sports camps available for kids ranging from beginners to elites, who can learn or sharpen their skills at specialized camps, led by specialist coaches and well-known current and former players.
Check out Trystars page from the Department of Sport & Recreation, which goes into further details on getting kids involved with triathlon. The UWA Kids Sports Holiday Programme is packed with fun and excitement for kids aged between five and 12, run by a skilled group of passionate, friendly leaders. UWA Exposure Due to the nature of the program, the UWA Kids Sport Holiday Program is not eligible for Childcare subsidies.
Corin Forest Ski Resort is available for students to purchase lift tickets, hire gear, and a ski/snowboard lesson at approximately $80 per child. Schools will be required to cover any difference between any grant funding from the Athletic School Foundation and their full costs of visiting Corin Forest. Corin Forest Ski Resort is located 45 minutes outside of Canberra, providing an awesome setting for kids to get a real taste of skiing, snowboarding, and – for those who are not familiar with the sport – to learn.
Perisher, including Perisher Valley and Guthega, is the largest ski resort in Australia with 50 lifts. Perisher is one of the best ski resorts in Australia, the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere, and has the highest land mass, most lifts, and most reliable snowfall in the Snowy Mountains.
Tasmania is farther south and has more widespread snowfall in winter, making it possible to do some winter walking and cross-country skiing, but the skiing is more limited, the seasons are shorter, and smaller ski resorts are harder to get to.
For us, skiing is one of the best ways to enjoy winter, be outside, be on the mountains, and HAVE FUN together. Sometimes travel distances and equipment costs and lift passes make snow sports a costly sport to enjoy on a regular basis.
If you have never tried skiing or snowboarding, you will certainly want to first try renting or purchasing used gear, as buying new gear could be a significant investment. We suggest renting or buying used gear before purchasing new gear because new Nordic skis and boots can be pricier. We always bought our kids Nordic gear from the local Ski Swap, or Play-It-Again-Sports (which is a consignment shop for sporting goods). This sport is not much of an endeavor since pretty much everyone who has lived in the snow or visited has tried this popular winter sport.
Bmx racing is an exciting sport and it teaches kids how to push themselves by learning new and creative tricks and improving their riding skill. Kids will be challenged physically as well as cognitively, learning new skills in balance, coordination, and flexibility, and understanding basic elements of snow sports safety. Australias mild winters mean that most parts of Australia are capable of playing normal outdoor sports throughout the year, and in fact, the more energetic sports are played most comfortably during winter.